Tuckamore Festival Finale


Tuckamore Festival
Finale Concert
Young Artists
Sunday 19 August

I wasn’t able to get to the concert in Brigus on Saturday 18th August, but I’m sure it went well. Judging from the photographs I have seen, the Young Artists certainly enjoyed their visit, an annual effort by Tuckamore organisers to reach out beyond the overpass to communities who may not find the treck into St. John’s an easy one.

The culmination of two weeks of intensive work (and lord knows how many years of preparation) brought a magnificent end to Tuckamore’s 18th Festival. Comparisons with previous years are doubtless invidious, but everyone I spoke to after the concert was of the same opinion: this year’s ensembles outclassed just about every group in the seventeen preceding festivals.

The bar was set high by the first ensemble, the trio of Raina Saunders, violin, Charlotte Tyhurst, ‘cello, and Iris Hung, piano, as they continued their exploration of Brahms’ Piano Trio in B Major, Op.8, no.1. They had presented the Allegro con brio movement at last Saturday’s Young Artists at Play recital, then the Adagio movement on Thursday’s lunchtime recital. At each performance the trio brought out elements of the work that could easily have remained clouded. And then on Sunday they performed both the Adagio and the Finale: Allegro, rounding out their performances in fine style.

The second ensemble of Frédéric-Alexandre Michaud, violin, Amélie Roberts, viola, Connor Cornick, ‘cello, and Stephen Eckert, piano have impressed me over the course of the festival by the maturity of their playing. Fauré’s Piano Quartet in C minor, Op.15 no.1 is an expansive work, demanding great concentration. They had played the first movement in the Young Artists at Play concert just over a week ago, then the Adagio during Wednesday’s lunchtime recital. In the Finale concert, they reprised the Adagio, and added the Scherzo: Allegro vivo. What a feast for the ears! I admit that I am not familiar with Fauré’s chamber works, so the performances by this ensemble has made me want to explore more.

Rounding out the first half of the concert we had the César Franck Piano Quintet in F minor. Maria Elena Vigna Sanchez and Rhiannon Carter, violins, Geena Salway, viola, Christopher Chan, ‘cello, and Boyana Makedonska, piano, had performed the Lento con molto sentimento movement on the Young Artists at Play recital. To this they added the Molto moderato quasi lento movement, again displaying what improvements intensive coaching and practicing can make in the course of a short period of time. The ensemble playing was much tighter, intonation more secure, and control of dynamics allowed dominant voices to soar.

After the intermission, Janine Noorloos and Josh Bath, violins, Paige Bursey, viola, Maggie Kerr, ‘cello, and Minae Masui, piano, showed that they had mastered Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in G minor, Op.57. They had performed the Prelude: Lento and Fugue: Adagio movements in the Young Artists at Play recital. On Sunday they performed, admirably, the Scherz: Allegretto and Intermezzo: Lento movements. Between those performances, the violinists had exchanged places. An artistic decision? A toss of the coin? Whatever the reason, Ms Noorloos seized the opportunity to delight the audience with her solo playing at the beginning of the Intermezzo. Again, the group’s intonation and ensemble work had improved, and they brought out the best that Shostakovich had to offer.

The final work of the concert, Schubert’s Piano Trio in B flat major, D.898, no.1, brought Joella Pinto, violin, Martin Roberts ‘cello, and Mado Christie, piano to the stage. Having played the Allegro moderato in the Young Artists at Play concert, they added the Scherzo – Allegro and Rondo: Allegro vivace movements. Every aspect of this trio’s playing was top notch: intonation, balance, dynamic range, virtuosic technique – all was there in the service of the music and for the audience’s delight. A fitting finale to this year’s Festival.

Tony Chadwick

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